Monday, October 23, 2023:

Good afternoon readers, 

Today we're going to talk about the US's aging population and provide some more updates on what's happening in Gaza.

— Rachel DuRose, Future Perfect fellow

Baby boomers are aging. Their kids aren't ready.  

Pete Gamlen for Vox

Baby boomers — those born between 1946 and 1964 — are reaching the period of life when, statistically, they need some form of care. This means many of their Children (who are primarily millennials but also Gen X-ers and Gen Z-ers) are rapidly becoming caretakers, and are facing financial, career, and emotional strain. 

The lowdown: Someone turning 65 today has a 70 percent chance of needing long-term care at some point. Boomers are living longer, but are still vulnerable to conditions like Alzheimer's disease, meaning they will need care for more years than previous generations. Here's what that means for the younger generations: 

• By 2030, the US will, for the first time, have more residents over 65 than children. While baby boomers were once the ones with aging parents, their circumstances were not the same as those their children face today. "Baby boomers are such a huge generation demographically, and they also had smaller families than their predecessors," senior correspondent Anna North told me. "So there are fewer young and middle-aged people available today to care for each older person." 
   
• The physical demands, medical bills, and logistics of caretaking create an immense amount of pressure for millennials. Some caretakers must put their career aspirations on hold while also finding ways to generate the income needed to afford their parents' care. Others put off having children of their own, or face the added burden of caring for young children and their parents at the same time.
  
  
• There's no magic bullet. However, that doesn't mean the situation is hopeless. Americans need to be more willing to talk to their family members about caregiving, and they need to call for policy reforms that make paid leave and Medicaid eligibility more accessible.

• Caregivers say the time they spent with their parents was invaluable. "It's difficult, but it's also good," said John Adeniran, who, along with his wife, cares for his mother, who has Alzheimer's disease, and a 5-month-old daughter. "There's so much beauty that still comes from this experience." 

The stakes: It may be too late for many millennials for the policies around caregiving to change, but there's hope younger generations can learn from the current crisis and create better structure and support for caregiving in the future. 

"I think the question for the future is whether we can improve our structures of care as a society so that people are more supported as they age," Anna told me. "If we can figure that out, maybe Gen Z and their elders won't be in the same situation in a few decades."

Check out Anna's full piece here.

The continuing crisis in Gaza

Maya Alleruzzo/AP

While Israel has delayed its expected ground invasion of Gaza, the region endured one of its deadliest nights of the war thus far over the weekend. According to the Hamas-run health ministry and reported by The Guardian, 400 people in Gaza were killed in the last 24 hours by Israeli bombing. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency said the situation in the Gaza Strip is a "true human catastrophe" and shared messages reportedly from those in Gaza saying they have had no water or electricity for 12 days. Here's what's happening:

• Approximately 4,600 Palestinians, including around 2,800 women and children, have been killed in Gaza, according to the UN. Hospitals report they are scrounging for generator fuel in order to keep life-saving medical equipment and incubators running. [AP]
   
• Two shipments of aid arrived in Gaza — one on Saturday and one on Sunday — the first since the war started on October 7. The convoys contained medical supplies, bottled water, and food, but did not contain fuel. More than 200 trucks carrying approximately 3,000 tons of aid are still awaiting Israeli approval to cross into Gaza from Egypt. [Al Jazeera]
  
  
• Over the weekend, Hamas released two hostages. But roughly 200 hostages remain in Gaza. As of last week, Israeli authorities reported at least 203 hostages were still held in Gaza. Hamas claims they are holding about 200 hostages and the Islamic Jihad has claimed it is holding 30 hostages. [Human Rights Watch]

If you have questions about the ongoing war let us know here. And here's where you can keep track of all our developing coverage.

• This morning, a school shooter in Sao Paulo, Brazil killed one student and injured three. The shooting follows deadly knife and machete attacks at other schools in the country this year. The perpetrator was arrested. [Reuters]
   

• Argentina's Economy Minister Sergio Massa finished first in the opening round of the country's presidential election. Massa received 36.7 percent of the vote. His primary opponent, right-wing candidate Javier Milei, received 30 percent of the votes. With neither candidate securing a majority, the election will lead to a November 19th runoff. [AP]
   

• The Caribbean Sea is experiencing its worst episode of coral bleaching on record due to long-lasting warm waters. The high temperatures leading to the bleaching and potential die-off of reefs are expected to last for weeks. This event could indicate the start of a global bleaching event where reefs across the world's major oceans are damaged. [NBC]

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